USC Trojans Recruit Receives Historic New Ranking

The USC Trojans signed a historic recruiting class, and one prospect in particular was ranked the No. 1 overall recruit in the entire 2026 class.

Dec 27, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley holds the championship trophy after the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Allegiant Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The USC Trojans signed the top recruiting class in the country during the 2026 cycle, and five-star EDGE Luke Wafle was named the the No. 1 prospect in the nation regardless of position in Rivals' latest rankings update.

As a result, Wafle becomes USC's highest-rated signee, followed by four-star defensive lineman Jaimeon Winfield and four-star wide receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, using Rivals' newest rankings. Four-star tight end Mark Bowman and four-star offensive tackle Vlad Dyakonov round out the five top-50 recruits that signed with the Trojans.

Nov 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) and head coach Lincoln Riley react after the game against the UCLA Bruins at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

No. 1 Overall Recruits in USC's History

In USC's rich recruiting history, former Trojans commits have been ranked No. 1 overall in the country by 247Sports' rankings, including quarterback Matt Barkley (2006 recruit) and running back Joe McKnight (2007 recruit). Additionally, former five-star wide receiver Patrick Turner was ranked No. 2 overall by 247Sports in the class of 2005, and former five-star quarterback Mark Sanchez was ranked No. 3 overall in the same class.

With nearly 20 years between landing the top-ranked prospect in a recruiting class, can the Trojans start matching the on-field success that USC experienced in the 2000s under former Trojans coach Pete Carroll? Current USC coach Lincoln Riley and general manager Chad Bowden have the Trojans recruiting like a powerhouse program, but the team has yet to make the College Football Playoff since it started in the 2014 season.

Dec 31, 2012; El Paso, TX, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Matt Barkley before the Sun Bowl against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Sun Bowl stadium. | Ivan Pierre Aguirre-US PRESSWIRE

Adding recruits like Wafle is an important step, and his commitment also marks a potential culture shift underway at USC. A majority of the Trojan's highest-rated recruits in program history played offense, but USC has seemingly focused on rebuilding the defensive line through recruiting.

In addition to Winfield and Wafle, USC also signed four-star defensive linemen Tomuhini Topui, Simote Katoanga, and Shaun Scott as well as three-stars Braeden Jones, Andrew Williams, Jake Johnson, and Malik Brooks.

In the 2025 recruiting class, the Trojans' most high-profile signing was five-star defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart, landing him over Oregon and LSU.

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Luke Wafle's Recent Rankings Surge

Penn State football head coach James Franklin takes a photo with recruit Luke Wafle and the Wafle family, including defensive tackle Owen Wafle (34), following the Blue-White game at Beaver Stadium on Saturday, April 26, 2025, in State College. The White team defeated the Blue team, 10-8. | Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Wafle committed to USC over programs like Penn State and Ohio State, and the Trojans were able to convince the New Jersey prospect to move to the West Coast for his college football career. He started to climb up the recruiting rankings even before he had a dominant senior season and was named the 2026 Navy All-American Bowl Defensive Player of the Year.

Meanwhile, during his actual participation at the Navy All-American Bowl, Wafle continued to turn heads. After an impressive week of practice, Wafle won MVP honors after finishing the game with three sacks, three tackles for loss, and a fumble recovery.

Even before he was named the No. 1 overall recruit by Rivals, Wafle is bringing high expectations with him to Southern California. Can incoming recruits like Wafle and Winfield have an immediate impact on USC's defensive line under new Trojans defensive coordinator Gary Patterson?